When it comes to limited-service Italian, pizza reigns supreme. Five-time James Beard Award finalist chef Gerard Craft believes he can change that with Porano Pasta + Gelato, a new fast-casual concept slated to open in downtown St. Louis this summer.
“People haven’t done a lot of pasta because it’s...

As Steve Easterbrook readies to take over the helm at McDonald’s Corp. next month, one point seems crystal clear: He has his work cut out for him.
In the wake of two years of declining sales and profits, the world’s largest restaurant enterprise is turning to Easterbrook to turn around the ship...

Q: I’m looking to get some investors. I think we do a good job appealing to customers, but what are some tips for appealing to investors?
A: It’s a good time to be thinking about seeking investments. After last year’s successful IPOs by Zoës Kitchen and El Pollo Loco, the restaurant sector seems...

The launch of a new product line is a noteworthy event for any quick-serve. But for Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, its new potato chips are a mere side item to a meatier rollout: a foundation to benefit law enforcement officers and firefighters.
“Let’s coincide the potato chips with our Barbecue, Boots...

Valentine’s Day is an ambiguous occasion—both dreamed about and dreaded—but within the limited-service space, February 14 is a day worth celebrating.
From Heart-Shaped Bo-Berry Biscuits at Bojangles’ to the seasonally inspired First Blush blend at Teavana, a slew of operators are offering special...

Hundreds of Chipotle restaurants aren’t selling carnitas for the third straight week after the fast-casual chain suspended one of its pork suppliers for violating animal welfare standards. While opting to uphold the company’s standards could prove beneficial for consumer loyalty, the shortage...

The fast-casual renaissance that has taken over the restaurant industry in the last decade has lately infused excitement and momentum into the broader limited-service sector. Market research firm Mintel found that sales at fast-casual restaurants grew 10.5 percent last year, compared with 6.1...

Wok Box Fresh Asian Kitchen is bringing the cuisine of 10 different countries—Thailand, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, Korea, China, Japan, India, Cambodia, and Vietnam—to a growing number of U.S. regions.
Wok Box first opened in Edmonton, Alberta, slightly more than a decade ago. The concept...

“Fuzzy’s Taco Shop has a large fan base in St. Louis and we are excited that its unique atmosphere adds new energy to our dining options at Westport Plaza,” says Craig Cobler, senior vice president of development for Westport Plaza. “Our customers can look forward to bold, fast-casual Baja-style...

The Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF), the industry’s premier leadership development organization, hosted its 2015 Conference that celebrated the culmination of its 25th anniversary and featured an exciting roster of industry and world-renowned keynote speakers. Three-thousand attendees from the U...

California Tortilla introduces the world to “Mexican Re-imagined,” an awareness campaign that tells the story of the brand in a whole new way. The fast-casual chain unveils messaging and advertising designed to reach a growing customer base and communicate what sets them above and apart from the...

Symbolic of the comforting and flavorful foods found in markets and cafés along the streets of France, la Madeleine is channeling that flavor as it invites guests to savor the Country French Trio. Continuing the tradition of made-from-scratch, country French recipes filled with fresh ingredients...

Sonic Drive-In introduces a new limited-time offer, the Spicy Super Crunch Chicken. These all-white meat chicken strips offer spice and crispiness for a snack or meal at the drive-in, on the go, or at home.

Unified Office Inc., a managed services provider offering hybrid cloud-based virtual communications services, announced today that MAR Pizza Group, one of the largest Domino’s franchisees with more than 70 stores across the country, has deployed its Total Connect Now service with Visual...

Having started as a sandwich maker with Subway when he was 18 years old, Gurpreet Singh has spent nearly half his life in the quick-service industry. Now a Checkers franchisee, Singh has spent time in every quick-serve job imaginable: line worker, manager, general manager, and, today, franchisee....

What can I possibly tell you about potatoes, dear quick-serve industry professional, that you don’t already know? It’s not as though you’re unacquainted with America’s favorite starch. You may even know that it’s the world’s fourth-largest food crop, trailing behind only rice, corn, and wheat,...

While the fast-casual category continues to be the fastest-growing industry sector, the road in 2015 will be bumpy. We will see constant change and challenges around every corner. For industry leaders, there are issues that will keep even the most seasoned executive awake at night.
Here is my top...

Like much of the rest of the economy, the 2008 economic meltdown brought a massive slow-down to the quick-service franchise industry. The combination of tightfisted money lenders and general economic uncertainty put franchise businesses in a near impossible position when it came to accessing...

What can I possibly tell you about potatoes, dear quick-serve industry professional, that you don’t already know? It’s not as though you’re unacquainted with America’s favorite starch. You may even know that it’s the world’s fourth-largest food crop, trailing behind only rice, corn, and wheat,...

When Lori Newcomb found out she had stage III ovarian cancer last year, she made it her mission to learn more about the disease and help other women fighting the same battle. She sat down with her husband, Chris Newcomb, cofounder and CEO of Southern quick-service chain Newk’s Eatery, and together...